MA MA - Simone Ridinger, 17, Sherborn, 2 Sept 1977

[Alleykins]

When the elderly man came forward in the 80s and gave the story about Simone being in a cop car, did LE ask him for this cops description? Did LE do research to try and find time cards or records as to who would have been on duty at that time? This could help discredit his story or prove that this encounter really did take place...

According to this article, it sounds like they did try to verify the story, but more recently.

But nothing ever came of it. Godinho has yet to find documentation in state or local police records of the man being pulled over, and there is no record of an officer or trooper picking up a girl that fit Ridinger’s description.
There was also no mention of why the man was pulled over in the statement taken by police.
“I’ve been trying like a son of a gun to try and confirm this guy’s story,” Godinho said. “There are so many questions.”

The article also goes on to state that some of the earlier leads appear to have no follow-up, but that could be because records weren't kept as meticulously as they are today. Not that no one followed up. So there's a chance investigators initially tried to verify the old man's story in 1986, when he came forward, by looking at the state police records, but the findings were not documented or written down anywhere.
Of note in this article, which I hadn't picked up on before, was that the old man said he was from Framingham. Simone had just moved to an apartment in Framingham. What are the chances, of all people and places, that he just happened to be going to the Cape that day, gets pulled over, and is asked to take a girl with him to the Cape, who also just so happens to now be living in Framingham? That's just too coincidental to me. Makes me wonder if they checked out how close in proximity to Simone's new apartment was to this guy's residence.

Extra link I read:

On Teen's 60th Birthday, Detective Still Holds Out Hope

A missing child case has a somber way of shaking a community to its core and echoing through the...

www.missingkids.org

 

[Richard]

When the elderly man came forward in the 80s and gave the story about Simone being in a cop car, did LE ask him for this cops description? Did LE do research to try and find time cards or records as to who would have been on duty at that time? This could help discredit his story or prove that this encounter really did take place...

It would be interesting to read the police file on what this witness related and what follow up work they did. Who was he, and how did he happen to be present?

If he reported seeing her in a police car, what department was it? Could it have been a city or town police car, or even a security vehicle?

 

[Sweetluv]

Also, the original story had Simone in a skirt with boots attire. It wasn't until the elderly man came forward and described, in detail, that she was wearing a waitress outfit and sneakers. AFTER that, a new detective questioned the waitresses who worked with Simone and they seen her leave the restaurant to start hitchiking in her work clothes. How did he know that? This information points to the elderly man coming into contact with Simone someway somehow.

 

[Sweetluv]

Checking in..

 

[willy wagtail]

This is a photo of a girl in Rodney Alcala unidentified photos I think she looks like Simone

 

[Sweetluv]

IMO, Simone has a more rounded facial shape and this girl has a sharp nose. But, it's a good find willy wagtail.

 

[Palisades]

.
Of note in this article, which I hadn't picked up on before, was that the old man said he was from Framingham. Simone had just moved to an apartment in Framingham. What are the chances, of all people and places, that he just happened to be going to the Cape that day, gets pulled over, and is asked to take a girl with him to the Cape, who also just so happens to now be living in Framingham?

The Cape has been a very popular getaway destination to drive to for New Englanders. Framingham is a populated small city, and close to the Cape. I

 

[Alleykins]

The Cape has been a very popular getaway destination to drive to for New Englanders. Framingham is a populated small city, and close to the Cape. I

Yes, I'm aware. I'm from New England.

 

[Sweetluv]

I wonder if Rodney Alcala was in the Massachusetts area in Sept of 77?

 

[Alleykins]

I wonder if Rodney Alcala was in the Massachusetts area in Sept of 77?

I couldn't find an exact timeline, but according to this link, he was in California working for the LA Times in 1977. I supposed he could have taken an excursion to the east coast, but it appears he was really busy in CA in 1977. Would hitchhiking to California something Simone might do?

In 1977, despite his criminal record and official registration as a sex offender, he was hired as a typesetter by the Los Angeles Times in the midst of their coverage of the Hillside Strangler murders.​

Additional evidence, including another cold case DNA match in 2004, led to Alcala's indictment for the murders of four additional women: Jill Barcomb, 18, killed in 1977 and originally thought to have been a victim of the Hillside Strangler; Georgia Wixted, 27, bludgeoned in her Malibu apartment in 1977; Charlotte Lamb, 31, raped and strangled in El Segundo in 1978; and Jill Parenteau, 21, killed in her Burbank apartment in 1979.

​

ETA: I didn't know he passed away in 2021.

 

[Beekarina]

They do look quite similar, but I do not think this is Simone. I've compared several of the images and the noses are very different:

 

[Beekarina]

Generally speaking, I think if Alcala was not known to be in jail, we could assume him to be anywhere.

He traveled.

 

[Alleykins]

Generally speaking, I think if Alcala was not known to be in jail, we could assume him to be anywhere.

He traveled.

Absolutely. How he was able to roam about the country between convictions is mindboggling. Like, was no one in LE keeping tabs on this guy?

 

[Sweetluv]

I can't get around the fact that when Simone first went missing, her description given was a skirt and boots. Years later, the elderly man said she was in a waitress outfit right down to the white sneakers and jewelry. It was then, the detectives questioned her former employees, who stated she left to hitchike in her work uniform. How did the elderly man know this unless he came into contact with her that day? How his story regarding the cop can ever be proven or dismissed is unknown to me.

 

[Sweetluv]

I know it was 1977, but is there someway LE can find out which cops were on the payroll that day? Some may be deceased by now but it's worth a try...

 

[Sweetluv]

@SherbornMADetective
Hoping he will return

 

[Sweetluv]

BUMPING